Thursday, July 10, 2014

INDIA'S SUPREME COURT RULES SHARIA COURTS NOT LEGAL

In a landmark judgment pertaining to India's more than 160 million Muslims, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Sharia courts run by clerics have no legal sanctity and that their fatwas are not binding on anyone.

The top court said Islamic judges, who interpret religious law, can only rule when individuals submit voluntarily to them and their decisions, or fatwas, are not legally enforceable.

A bench of Justices C.K. Prasad and Pinaki Chandra Ghose restrained forums like Dar-ul Qaza, Dar-ul-Iftaa and Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband from giving verdicts or issuing fatwas against a person who is not before it on the basis of complaints by "strangers".

Women's rights activists are glad, since it can help defend the rights of Muslim women. Now if only Britain would learn from this, and get their own courts to make a ruling against the sharia advocates operating freely in their country under the protection of local law officials, but alas, I don't think the UK will ever pay attention to India's courageous steps.